acciona reports 66

E N G I N E E R I N GT H E P R O F E S S I O N

C H A N G I N G T H E W O R L D

N.66 JULY 2017

Australia, projects with social impact

INTERVIEW

The plant that stores wind

CLEAN ENERGY

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PROFESSIONALSOF INVENTIVENESSne of the strongest emotions a human being can feel is, paradoxically, an intellec-

tual one. It consists of fi nding the exact mathematical formula capable of inspiring

a project that benefits the whole world. One that allows hundreds of people to

drink fresh water extracted from one of the saltiest seas on the planet, for example.

Th e excitement of having squeezed out every drop of brainpower to hit on the solu-

tion is, however, easily overshadowed when the theoretical formula is brought to

life as an effi cient infrastructure that fulfi ls all the commitments acquired.

EDITORIAL

3

But we’re talking about ephemer-

al emotions: once the challenge has

been overcome, before long you start

getting withdrawal symptoms and

your mind needs another challenge

as soon as possible. The engineering

profession could be described as being

for people who like complicating their

lives with complex problems so they

can fi nd apparently simple solutions.

Although ACCIONA has branched out

into many areas, engineering still runs

through the core of the business. It’s

imprinted in the group’s genetic code

all the way back to its origins in the

Entrecanales y Távora company.

Waste treatment for recycling or

producing clean power; automat-

ed water treatment or desalinating

plants like Fujairah; Spain’s first

hybrid wind power plant using bat-

teries, moving forward with the

challenge of storing power from

renewable sources that can respond

to peaks in demand; infrastruc-

ture, energy, water and building

mega-projects that have made

ACCIONA a synonym for solvency in

Australia, the launch pad for the stra-

tegic region of Southeast Asia, and

that are taking on a new scale follow-

ing purchase of the Geotech group;

the simulation technology that allows

us to intervene in physical reality like

never before. And a milestone in the

fi ght against climate change: becom-

ing the sector’s first carbon neutral

global company.

Behind all the content addressed in

the magazine is a particular mod-

el of engineering as profession and

business, one that involves training

talented new people using accumu-

lated knowledge; the ability to take

on risks in overwhelmingly diffi cult

projects, and a deeply rooted motiva-

tion: knowing that you’ll squeeze out

the last drop of brainpower to make

a difference to the whole of society,

both now and in the future.

www.acciona.com

Engineers tax their brains for the benefi t of society as a whole

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SUMMARY

EDITORIAL Engineering as

a profession, a

business, and a

social asset.

03

NEWS GROUP

LATEST Q1 results and

strategic goals, new markets and

selective growth. Clean energy for

large clients, managed by CECOER.

Solidarity projects.

08

07IN NUMBERS

How we have reduced and offset CO

2 emissions to become

the sector’s first carbon-neutral company.

W E A R E S U S TA I N A B L E

WATER AUTOMATED

MANAGEMENTDesalination and water treatment

plants have the ability to extract

more and better quality water

than ever before, even in extreme

climate conditions. Th e automation

of facilities and processes is the

main reason why.

16

INTERVIEW

Fernando Fajardo, Director of ACCIONA Infrastructures for Australia, New Zealand and Asia-

Pacifi c, describes the Group’s solid growth in the region with the highest global impact. And by

acquiring Geotech, the Group will be able to compete Down Under like never before.

10

“ W E ’ V E E A R N E D T H E R E S P E C T O F A U S T R A L I A N S O C I E T Y ”

Publisher:General Director of Corporate Identity

and Global Marketing.

ACCIONA, S.A.

Avda. de Europa, 18.

P. E. La Moraleja.

28108 Alcobendas.

Madrid. Tel.: 91 66322 87

E-mail:

[email protected]

Production:La Factoría, Prisa Revistas.

National Book Catalog Number:

M-35.445-1997.

Th is magazine is printed

on chlorine-free paper

sourced from sustainable

forests. FSC certifi cation,

provided by the Forest

Stewardship Council,

ensures that paper

products come from

well-managed forests

and that the chain

of custody remains

unbroken throughout

the transformation and

fi nishing process.

TWITTER FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE

Follow us on

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HOW IT WORKS

Virtual, augmented, captured

and mixed. Th ey’re like digital

ships that recreate physical

reality and travel through it

to control and improve it. Find

out how they’re applied in

increasing numbers of projects

across the Group.

FOUR TECHNOLOGIES THAT SIMULATE (AND SURPASS) REALITY

30

N. 66 July 2017

5

ENGINEERING

Great engineering projects have made the world

a better place. Even greater challenges await a

profession (and a Company) that fi nds simple

solutions to complex problems.

D R I V E N B Y I N G E N U I T Y

20

HISTORYTHE GREAT RAILROAD ENGINEERSAs trains got bigger, the old iron bridges began to creak.

Back in the 1940s, they decided to replace them with solid

concrete structures that are still bearing up well today.

28

MOTORING

Th e EcoPowered

becomes the fi rst

100% electric racing

car to complete the

Italian Baja rally.

50

CLEAN ENERGYSTORING WIND

Spain’s fi rst wind hybrid power plant with batteries. Storing renewable energy to serve it up on demand.

42

EXPOS APD CREATIVITY

FROM SEVILLE

TO ASTANAAPD’s pavilions have inspired curiosity and excitement at all the World Expos since 1992. Th e new milestone: Astana (Kazakhstan).

46

TALENTMentors who guide

young people in

search of employ-

ment with a future.

48

RECYCLING NEW LIFE

FOR WASTETransforming

waste into new objects or, even

better, into clean energy, is a

basic habit of sustainability and a

healthy business.

34

REGULATION LAWS OF

THE GREEN

ECONOMY Two laws about to be passed should

promote decarbonization. How to

legislate for changes to the energy

model... and the way we think about.

40

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IN NUMBERS

T H E F I R S T C A R B O N - N E U T R A L C O M PA N Y

FOR BOTH INFRASTRUCTUREAND UTILITIES

FIRST COMPANY

TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY

THE GROUP:817,204 TONS of

EMISSIONSinto the atmosphere;

a reduction

IN 2016

OF 43%

CO2

QUICK BRIEF

QUICK BRIEF

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE NEUTRALITY,

THE REMAINDER WAS OFFSET THROUGH

THE PURCHASE OF CERTIFIIED EMISSION

REDUCTIONS (UN)

OBJECTIVE FOR 2017-2020: DECARBONIZE,

IMPROVE ADMINISTRATION OF RECYCLABLES AND

REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM ALL ACCIONA ACTIVITIES,

INCLUDING THOSE OF SUPPLIERS

the Company released

in 5 years (achieving the target set by its

2010-2015 Sustainability Master Plan)

TREES

OVER 3.000 TONS of CO2

702,672Furthermore

bushes and fl owers of diff erent kinds were planted, absorbing

from 1,739,000 tons in 2007

Decrease in emissions:

41%

According to the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index, to achieve carbon-neutral status.THE ACHIEVEMENT FULFILLS ACCIONA’S COMMITMENT AS ANNOUNCED

AT THE 2015 PARIS CLIMATE SUMMIT

LAST YEAR, RECYCLING ACTIVITY PREVENTED

THE EMISSION OF14,8 TONS

of

to 817,204 in 2016

THIS WAS THE THIRD YEARRUNNING THE COMPANY

ACROSS 100% of its supply chain

measured its greenhouse gas emissions Renewable

http://acciona.sa/GDsJ30d0G0hVIDEO

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NEWS

Speaking at the AGM, ACCIONA’s CEO

José Manuel Entrecanales indicated

that the Group’s main focus as it

enters a new stage of growth will

be projects that guarantee profit

margins and markets which offer good

opportunities for renewable energies

and infrastructure, such as Southeast

Asia and the US, alongside other

more consolidated locations such as

Chile, Mexico and Australia. Achieving

this goal will require repeating the

investment rate of 2016 -in the region

of 1 billion euros- this year.

The Board approved a gross dividend

of 2.875 euros per share and the

appointment of independent advisor

Karen Christiana Figueres, VP of

the Global Covenant of Mayors for

Climate and Energy.

GENERAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING

SELECTIVE GROWTH AND NEW MARKETS

1 BILLION€Investment of

DISTRIBUTION OF

€ 2.875 /share

dividend

+15% on previous year

VOLUNTEERS TEACH SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS TO 50,000 CHILDREN

Over the last six years,

more than 660 ACCIONA

Group employees have

taken part in corporate

volunteering workshops

on sustainability for

children aged 6 to 10, in

schools located in 15

countries in which

the Company is present.

ACCIONA TO SUPPLY TELEFÓNICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGYAccording to an agreement signed

in June, ACCIONA will provide 71.6%

of Telefónica España’s high-

tension remote-metered power

consumption in Spain in 2018.

Amounting to a total of 430 GWh of

100% renewable energy (certifi ed

by the CNMC), the measure will

avoid the emission of about 413,000

tonnes of CO2. Th is contract expands

ACCIONA’s supply of energy to large

corporations on the Iberian market,

where the Company is already the

largest renewable-only supplier.

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SELECTIVE GROWTH AND NEW MARKETS

RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTROL CENTER INCORPORATES 1,104 MW

In the first quarter of the year, ACCIONA’s Renewable Energy Control Center (CECOER), which manages the Company’s installations and those of other developers it represents, incorporated 1,104 MW into its client portfolio: 633 MW from Eolia Renovables and 471 MW from Grupo Vapat. The CECOER (located in Sarriguren, Navarre) manages in real time 294 wind farms, 80 hydro stations, 24 photovoltaic, six CSP and five biomass plants, plus 269 transformer substations in 18 countries on five continents, managing a total of around 13,000 MW.

During the Innovate4Climate forum, hosted in Barcelona under the auspices of the World Bank, ACCIONA’s CEO advocated for the economy to be electrified and for a larger contribution of renewables in the energy mix, as key measures for accelerating the global process of decarbonization. Mr Entrecanales claimed that the price of CO2 emissions should be

“substantially higher” than at present to keep global warming well below 2ºC, one of the main goals of the Paris Agreement. ACCIONA has fulfilled the commitment that Mr Entrecanales announced at the Paris Summit, becoming the first carbon-neutral company in the infrastructure and electricity sectors (Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes).

Net profit up by 21% in the first quarter

ACCIONA reported €60 million in net profit in the first quarter of 2017 (+20.8% on the year before), due broadly to good business performance and a sharp (-26.4%) reduction in financial costs. EBITDA amounted to €301 million (+8.5%), mainly due to the performance by the Construction division (+118%) in the international market. Group revenues increased to €1,634 million (+15.2%). At March 31, 2017, net interest-bearing debt amounted to €5,498 million (+7.1%), mainly due to ongoing investments.

JOSÉ MANUEL ENTRECANALES:

“Meaningful carbon pricing is vital if we are to achieve a clean economy”

ELECTRICITY FOR REFUGEES IN ETHIOPIA

ACCIONA Microenergy Foundation participates in the Alianza Shire initiative, alongside other private companies, NGOs and state agencies, providing refugees and displaced people with electricity. The first project, implemented in the Shire refugee camp in northern Ethiopia, has helped 8,000 people by powering new schools, markets, women’s centers and community kitchens.

10

INTERVIEW

10

Fernando Fajardo hopes to complete a

decade at the helm of ACCIONA in

Southeast Asia.

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FERNANDO FAJARDO, CEO OF ACCIONA INFRASTRUCTURE, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND ASIA-PACIFIC

by Juan Pablo Zurdo photos Axel Calvet

11

We have

gained the respect

of the Australian

society


12

he gained dual citizenship. Since his arrival (slightly prior to the bib-

lical inundations in Queensland which fl ooded his house, as well),

he has focused on ACCIONA’s consolidation, successes such as wind

farms, Adelaide desalination plant and the Brisbane tunnel. Most

recently, the acquisition of local group Geotech has taken the Aus-

tralian company’s ability to compete in the construction and infra-

structure big leagues to a new level. Although far from easy, it’s been

thrilling, he says, adapting to a culture which, while open, is also a

place where you won’t be served a hamburger at a drive-thru if you

show up on foot. Not to mention getting used to a work-place culture

that’s occasionally contrary; where there is a different concept of

leadership, how to manage contracts and professional fl exibility. Th e

result, however, is a company which goes like greased lightning; just

like Australia, an emerging power that should double its economy,

population and demand in the next 20 years. Australia is already the

jumping-off point for the Southeast Asia region, and is contributing

to the reorientation of the world map.

Some people here may wonder: “Did they lose something over in Australia?”Although it may seem hard to believe, Australia wasn’t even on the

radar for Spanish companies prior to 2000. Now there are several

who have made a certain success of it, but we were the pioneers in

2002 with the Energy business. Why? While the market only has

25 million inhabitants, it’s the 13th largest economy in the world,

a huge plus. Th is is an organized country with low sovereign risk,

a social conscience vis-à-vis sustainability, and a highly elaborate

British business model. In 2008, the Water business was incorporat-

ed, followed by Infrastructure in 2010. It was undoubtedly a clever

move, and Spain ought to have checked out this

part of the globe a long time ago.

Is it structured as a regional platform?If we trace a circle from Australia to include India,

China and Southeast Asia, you have, right there,

more population that the rest of the planet put to-

gether. Not to mention frenetic activity. Th is is a

region which is chock full of opportunities, but is

also complicated. Not all these countries have the

low Country Risk index which Australia enjoys.

We apply the lessons learned in Australia upon

entry, but cautiously. We have presented quality

off ers in Singapore, where we opened our offi ces

in 2016, as well as in Vietnam, and we are in the

process of developing a project in the Philippines.

These will form our future base of operations in

construction, transport infrastructure, purifi ca-

tion and desalination, because these are three se-

cure, growing countries. We work in New Zealand

as well, though it’s managed from here.

E V E N Y E A R S A F T E R E M I G R A T I N G T O T H E O T H E R S I D E O F T H E P L A N E T ,


13

INTERVIEW

1billion

€141

AustraliaWITH A POPULATION

OF 25 MILLION, AUSTRALIA’S

ECONOMY IS THE

AU$

13th largest in the world

2019 GOAL

FOR ACCIONA

INFRASTRUCTURE SALES

millionTO ACQUIRE GEOTECH, THE

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERING

AND CONSTRUCTION GROUP

A historic fi gure who fascinates you?Sir Donald Bradman, the

greatest cricket player

in history, with a batting

average of 99.94%. Like

a forward who never

missed a goal!

A current one?Russell Crowe. He’s

good at everything.

Actor, producer,

musician, composer,

businessman, and co-

owner of a rugby team.

How do you manage nostalgia for country, family, friends…?With diffi culty. Roots

can’t be transplanted.

Sometimes you feel

sorry you can’t be

around people when

they need you to be. I

spend as much time as

possible keeping in touch

with family and friends,

thanks to technology.

An Australian custom you would export to the world?Defense of the public

domain. Take more care

with that which belongs

to everyone than you

would with your own

personal items.

A local saying you subscribe to?No worries, mate! Th at’s

the Australian attitude.

Has Australia changed your personality?For the better. Working

in a foreign language

forces to you to be less

impulsive and more

refl ective.

A grand project you would like to work on?First phase of the high-

speed train network.

UP CLOSE

How have you gone from being unknowns to consolidating, in such a relatively short period?The only way possible, by fulfilling or exceeding expectations.

We’ve had to overcome stereotypes; Spaniards and Australians are

similar in that they see one another’s countries solely as exotic va-

cation destinations. Th ey’d no idea what to expect from us, and we

couldn’t aff ord a single error, because each project was the fi rst in

each fi eld. If you mess up, you can forget about another contract.

Th e Brisbane tunnel, for example. Initially, some in the local in-

dustry did not believe that a group of unknowns would win the

contract. Th en they doubted whether we would be able to acquire

the tunnel-boring machines. Th en, could we use them? Each one of

We couldn’t afford even the slightest mistake… One error and you’re out of the next contract


14

INTERVIEW

aries. Th e contrast regarding leadership concepts

is immense. Here the bosses sometimes do not

want to be bosses; they only lead once they gain

the confi dence of teams who are willing to follow

them, instead of through hierarchy. We’ve had to

change some positions because of this, when the

Australians have said to us “he may be the boss,

but he’s not a leader.” As for the professionals,

they are excellent but do not move an inch beyond

their own specialties. Spaniards are more fl exible

and therefore, you could argue, more productive.

And the delightful English language…Obviously it’s a handicap that we have to live

with. In this environment, you need bilingual

people. I’ve been here seven years and do not

consider myself bilingual. For us, this means

that an engineer with a background of manag-

ing very large projects overseas needs to han-

dle much smaller ones here until they’re ready.

We’re on a learning curve. As a business we have

overcome this, but each professional who comes

over needs to go through it. In this business, you

truly need to listen to and understand your cli-

ent, or you’re in trouble.

And at the personal and family level? What was it like for you?Th e shock is intense, but exciting. Th is is a country

which is open, truly multicultural, well-ordered

and civic-minded. Where we live in Brisbane,

the quality of the schools is impressive and any

campus could hold its own with a good Spanish

university. However, it can seem rigid at times

because people are strongly dedicated to stick-

ing to the norm, and at times their past catches

up with them. Every park has public barbecues;

people use them and leave them spotless. Th ere is

a great respect for public property and the rule of

law. When we fi rst arrived, the whole family went

out for hamburgers to a drive-thru, the only place

open after ten at night. They refused to serve us

because we weren’t in a car, that’s the rule, so we

had to get a taxi. But this is anecdotal. Australia

receives you, attracts you and traps you.

our jobs has allowed us to dissipate doubts, aspire

to more jobs, grow yearly and gain the recogni-

tion of the administrators. Now they seek us out,

wanting to work together.

In a country which is very environmentally conscious, does public opinion share this image?We‘ve gained the respect of society. All our pro-

jects contain inherent community benefi ts. Th is

includes recycling plants in a country which is

determined to meet ambitious sustainability ob-

jectives. I could also mention the reconstruction

of highways destroyed by the fl oods of 2010, de-

salination plants in arid areas, trams to convert

the main street of Sydney into a pedestrian mall

and transform the city center…Th ese are large and

significant projects that sync well with some of

the major social concerns.

How do you adapt your own vision in order to convince people whose mentality may be diff erent?It’s a never-ending and complicated learning

process. First, there are differences among the

states, for example between Queensland and Tas-

mania. Th ere is no equivalent to Spanish regions,

they are more like the diff erences you would fi nd

among northern and southern European coun-

tries. The professional fit needs to override the

culture shock, particularly with regard to con-

tracts. Relations with clients are contractual, le-

gal, and contain numerous expensive intermedi- http://acciona.sa/7ofd30d0GpoVÍDEO

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE Following the

acquisition of 82.4%

of Geotech Holding,

merge with a

directorate composed

mainly of Australian

professionals to

better compete in the

country’s enormous

infrastructure sector,

which has a potential

of €90 billion over the

next decade.

Underpin the imminent

market entry of the

Industrial and

Service divisions.

Complete the

consolidation of the

Infrastructure division,

exceeding AU$ billion

(€666 million) in

sustained sales by

2019.

Increase presence

in Southeast Asia,

beginning with

Singapore, the

Philippines and

Vietnam.


15

INTERVIEW

We’ve completed the learning curve… In this business, you either listen and understand the client, or you’re in trouble

OUR PROJECTS

Legacy Way Highway Tunnel, Brisbane• First construction

project in Australia.

• 4.6 km.

• Two tunnel-borers,

110m long and 12.4m

diameter. World record

holders for excavation

speed: 4.5 km in 6

months.

• Four national and

international prizes for

quality, innovation and

sustainability.

Sydney Light Rail• Design, construction,

fi nancing, operation

and maintenance

through 2030.

• 12 km, 19 stops, a

bridge, tunnel, control

center, two garages and

substations.

• Activity generated:

2.667 billion euros and

10,000 jobs.

• Th ree prizes for

fi nancing and Asia-

Pacifi c association.

Toowoomba, Queensland Highway• Bypass 41 km north of

Toowoomba.

• Fastest and safest

route for transporting

merchandise to ports,

avoiding complicated

transit through city.

• 800m viaduct, nine

million m3 of earth

excavated, 12 bridges

and three underpasses.

• Award for Best

Transport Project in

Asia-Pacifi c.

• Completion:

December 2018.

Pacifi c Highway, New South Wales• Improves stretch

between Warrell Creek

and Nambucca, 19.5 km.

• Improves safety,

eliminates seasonal

gridlock.

• Two split level

interchanges and

bridges over fl oodable

riverbeds and plains.

• Completion:

December 2017.

• Design and

construction of a 1.5 km

bridge over the Clarence

River, Harwood.

• Dual-carriageway in

both directions.

• Completion: 2019.

Puhoi-Warkworth Highway, New Zealand• 18.5 km, four-lane

extension.

• Strategic route uniting

north with Auckland,

Waikato and Tauranga.

• Delivery: 2022.

Desalination Plant, Port Stanvac, Adelaide• 300,000 m3 daily.

• Reverse osmosis.

• First in Australia to pre-

treat using ultrafi ltration

membranes and double-

stage membranes

• 10 quality awards.

Water-Treatment Plant, Mundaring, Western Australia• Design, construction and

operation for 35 years.

• 165,000 m3 daily.

• Supplying population of

650,000.

• Award for Best Contract

of the Year (Global Water

Intelligence journal).

Purifi cation Plant, Kingborough, Tasmania• Renovation and

expansion from 4.1 to 8.1

million liters daily.

• Sewer system: new

infrastructure, tanks and

other equipment.

• Capacity to handle rapid

growth of city.

Purifi cation Plant, Kawana, Queensland• Design, construction

and operations upgrading

previous plant.

• Leap in capacity: from

90,000 to 200,000

people daily.

• Mobile biomass

reactor - fi rst in the

country. Reduces carbon

footprint.

Wind farms• Th ree operational farms

on property.

• 302.5 MW total

capacity.

• ACCIONA’s fourth

country to implement

wind farms.

• Additional project under

construction, 132 MW.

PHOTOVOLTAIC• 24 MWp plant (20 MW

nominal) built for clients.


1616

A N A U T O M A T I C S O U R C E

IN THE DESERT EMIRATE OF FUJAIRAH, THEY ARE QUENCHING THEIR THIRST FOR WATER THANKS TO AUTOMATEDDESALINATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN MAKE A

GLASS OF DRINKABLE WATER FROM THE SEA.

by

Miguel Ángel Bargueño

The Fujairah

coasts pose a

challenge for

desalination:

desert, a very

salty sea and high

concentrations

of algae.

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1717

OFor this reason, since 2010, access to potable

water has been a human right recognized by the

UN. Climate change has complicated the situa-

tion; not only because of the expected lack of rain

(or, alternately, torrential excesses of same), but

as National Geographic explains: “as there is less

ice, we will see a reduction in available water. If

conservation bodies do not address the problem,

we will be facing with restrictions.”

Technology is not an eff ective panacea for histor-

ical challenges. Th e long-term solution, howev-

er, involves using technology in the short-term.

Automation, of the complex process of making

what is known is some regions as“liquid gold”

drinkable, is key to transforming the threat of

scarcity into an opportunity. In this way, desali-

nation is one of the technologies in which Spain is

a leader; a tradition which began in 1964 with the

fi rst plant installed in Lanzarote.

“In this country, there has always been a great

need for water,” explains Alejandro Beivide,

director of Automation and Control for ACCIONA

Agua. “Th is led to an internal demand for desal-

ination and, at the same time, technological

knowledge and ability which would give as the

competitive advantage in these periods of inter-

national expansion.”ACCIONA Agua is bring-

ing this tradition up to date. It is a world lead-

er in desalination and the journal Global Water

Intelligence recently awarded the Company the

N A P L A N E T W H I C H O U G H T TO B E N A M E D WAT E R , 78 3 M I L L I O N P E O P L E S U F F E R DA I LY D U E TO T H E O DY S S E Y I N VO LV E D I N R E AC H I N G A D R I N K A B L E S O U RC E .

award for Best World Water Business. A series

of innovations in automation is one of the main

reasons for this recognition, as well as represent-

ing a qualitative advance in generating capacity,

administrative optimization and reduction of

both loss and energy consumption. ACCIONA

Agua’s desalination technology is, therefore, a

natural ally of the sustainable economy, not only

in environmental terms, but also economical-

ly, due to its investment/production pay-off . A

small lay-out achieves more and better water

than the previous technological iteration.

A UNIQUE DEPARTMENTTh e Company is one of the few in the sector with

a department specifi cally dedicated to Automa-

tion and Control: designing processes, install-

ing infrastructures and applying a maintenance

model and constant updates.

According to Alejandro Beivide, “the techno-

logical component in this sector is enormous,

requiring a greater level of automation mak-

ing the entire process dynamic while avoid-

ing risks.” These risks apply not only to the

investment, but to people as well. The desali-

nation teams work under extreme pressure - a

hazard limited by continual, sensible monitor-

ing of any disturbances.

Here the concept of automation goes far beyond

the dictionary defi nition. It covers the sequence


18

WATER

of services from start to fi nish, including analytic

control of the quality and environmental man-

agement of residues and sub-products generated

during treatment. “In order to produce 42 liters

of drinking water, 100 need to be taken from the

sea; this implies that 58 liters return to the sea in

a saltier state than they began,” says Julio Ratia,

who manages Operation and Maintenance for

ACCIONA Agua in the Middle East.

FUJAIRAH QUENCHEDWe now head to the project location in one of the

most diffi cult geographies imaginable. For this

very reason, it is also one of the most favorable

for desalination. In the Emirate of Fujairah, in

the Gulf of Oman, marine water is extremely

salty (45 grams of salt per liter) and its coasts

suff er periodically from red tides (extreme salt

concentrations). This is the last place on earth

a thirsty person would head. Nonetheless, the

plant designed and constructed by ACCIONA

Agua produces 136 million liters of drinking

water each day. This is sufficient to quench the

thirst of 600,000 people, though only 150,000

live in the Emirate.

This successful process has a name: ring-con-

fi guration reverse osmosis. “Th e ring confi gura-

tion, in which the desalination racks are located,

creates extremely high energy efficiency. If, in

a normal plant, we could reach a consumption

of 3.8 KW per hour per cubic meter of water

produced, or more, here we have reduced it to

3.2 KW per hour,” explains Julio Ratia. News is

spreading like wildfire about this key savings

development. The plant receives visitors from

public, local, drinking water service companies,

in order to understand fi rst-hand how this com-

petitive edge functions.

All of which takes place, incidentally, in

the smallest physical space possible. “It is dif-

ficult to locate plants which produce so much

in such a small location. In an area of 45,000

square meters, we are able to produce 136,000

cubic meters daily,” says Ratia.

HOW THE DESALINATION PLANT WORKS

1 Water is taken from a certain

distance off shore. It is carried to

the installation and pumped into

the pre-treatment units.

2 It then passes through a

straining grate which eliminates

visible fl oating material.

3 In a tank, it is mixed with air

and further substances come

fl oating up, which are then

removed from the surface.

4 It is fi ltered through beds of

pumice and sand.

5 It is then fi ltered again

through fi ber cartridges. Th is is

like a life insurance; the grains of

sand can damage the osmosis

membranes, altering the

quality and quantity of the

water produced.

6 The water then arrives at

the racks; membranes which

employ osmotic pressure

to separate the water into

two currents, the brine and

the permeated water, with

reduced salts.

7 Conditioning stage: sodium

carbonate is added in order to

make the water drinkable ac-

cording to public health norms.

8 From here it passes

to another tank, ready

for consumption.

Automation is

also used at

other company

desalination

plants, like the

one in Adelaide,

Australia.


19

WATER

SOCIAL BENEFITAccording to Alejandro Beivide, “installing

automated desalination plants ensures a higher

capacity of rapid water generation.” Further-

more, there are social benefits inherent in this,

such as the creation of specialized jobs. Automat-

ing the plant does not imply reducing person-

nel. On the contrary, the Fujairah plant contains

some 30 qualifi ed employees.

Automation is like a perpetual motion machine.

Th ere is no fi nish line. “We are working on cogni-

tive intelligence, online optimization, virtual advi-

sors…,” explains Beivide. “We also want the plants

to be more alive, closer. The coming revolution is

based on data analysis. We will connect the plants

worldwide and compare how to improve main-

tenance, learn from the processes… This is where

ACCIONA Agua can excel even more.”

he Fujairah

desalination

plant has been

in operation

since 2004.

In 2006, it passed to

Emirates SembCorp Water

and Power, which in turn

hired ACCIONA to expand

and renovate it, including

the incorporation of the

osmosis ring. At the end

of 2015, it was relaunched

with this new techno-

logical ‘soul’. “It gives

us greater redundancy,

greater operational fl ex-

ibility and a lower rate of

energy consumption. All of

this increases the plant’s

availability,” according to

Abdelhadi Alhammadi, the

company’s commercial

director.

He is convinced by the

new system’s effi ciency

(it reduces the quantity

of high pressure pumps

needed; one of these per

group is enough) “and,

further, each desalination

frame can be isolated for

cleaning purposes in situ,

without stopping the

high-pressure pumps.”

Th e osmosis ring system

greatly relieves the

endemic lack of water

in the region, in a more

sustainable manner. “In

our opinion, the inverse

osmosis technology is

utterly necessary, due

to its lower consumption

of specifi c energy and

greater output, without

compromising the quality

of the water.”

T

W H AT T H E C L I E N T T H I N K S

A trickle of numbers

75

COMPANY desalination plants

115 DRINKING water

treatment

300 PURIFICATION

PLANTS

90 MILLION

People benefit

in 25 countries http://acciona.sa/cocy30d0Gm7

VÍDEO


20

ENGINEERING

ENGINEERS HAVE MOLDED HISTORY. THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO COMPLICATE THEIR LIVES BY TRYING TO MAKE OTHERS’ LIVES SIMPLER. THIS IS HOW AN ENGINEERING FIRM EVOLVES, TO CONTINUE CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME.

by

Ángel Luis Sucasas

20

Bridge engineering

has always been

the Company’s

specialty; with

examples such

as San Telmo

bridge in Seville

and Deusto bridge

in Bilbao.

D R I V E N B Y

I N G E N U I

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21

INGENIERÍA

21

T Y


22

1ENGINEERING

S T C E N T U R Y . J U L I U S S E X T U S F R O N T I N U S , W A T E R C O M M I S S A R Y F O R R O M E C O M P L E T E S ‘ D E A Q U E D U C T U ’ , A D E T A I L E D A N A LY S I S O F T H E N E T W O R K O F A Q U E D U C T S I N T H E M O S T E N G I N E E R E D C I T Y O N T H E P L A N E T .

Engineering

is a team

eff ort, and

furthermore,

in a

company like

ACCIONA it’s

multicultural,

with projects

in over 40

countries.

The job was ordered personally for the maximum

client: Augustus Caesar. A tome was needed to con-

tain the precise dimensions of the network and the

initial and fi nal volume, as well as the explanations

behind the leaks and piracies. Frontinus practiced

a trade which at that point was still to be named.

He was an engineer, a person who confronts facts

with technical knowledge, intellect and astuteness

to produce a palpable social benefit. The means of

the profession have changed, but this is precisely its

nature: the ability to overcome, while maintaining a

permanent essence and solving complex problems

in the simplest manner possible.

MULTICULTURALCollaboration between cultures –key in the

knowledge model Rome globalized- is still a

necessity. It has forced changes for those compa-

nies who dare. ACCIONA, in pursuit of large inter-

national projects, has concentrated all its engi-

neering and construction technical experience in

a single entity, ACCIONA Engineering, working in

continuous internal coordination from the design

stage through to execution.

“Our skill has always lain in this specialization. By

not going bidding on large infrastructure projects

in a generalist manner, you become much more

focused and are better prepared to come up with

what the market demands,” explained Alejandro

Acerete, manager of the company’s Projects and

Design Coordination Management department.

Changing the way of thinking has been essential,

from knowledge of the local market to the basic

need of opening a market for each job and manag-

ing projects halfway around the globe 24 hours a

day - each with its norms, requirements and specifi c

cultural coordinates.

Engineers and executives agree on the demysti-

fication of the millions attached to each project.

Th ere are more decisive factors: “Internationally,

many companies have a great aversion to risk. A

well-designed off er gives us a competitive advan-

tage. These are projects in which one wrong step

can cost you a lot,” argues Acerete.

Th e other key to competitive adaptation is cultur-

al. In large jobs, one finds consortia which work

and think quite differently, such as with Korean,

British or Spanish engineering. “You also need to

present a common, clear and mutually understand-

able vision to the client by prioritizing direct com-

munication among people. Reducing communi-

cation to emails only leads to confusion and false

problems,” explains Acerete. Communication must

be direct, but subtle, and control the codes which


23

INGENIERÍA

INDIVIDUAL YET COLLECTIVEINTELLIGENCE

In 1943, José Entrecanales Ibarra, engineer and co-founder of Entrecanales and Távora, made

the following comment about the collective intelligence which defi nes engineering and is spread

throughout the Company’s work:

“It is clearly an advantage when an original idea is capable of resolving a problem. No matter how simple, it ought to be recognized in all works and by all of the Company’s personnel. On the other hand, it is only fair that a prize be given to the person who thought of it.”Th is principle remains constant 74 years later, through the José Entrecanales Ibarra Foundation, as

well as through two prizes: the International Civil Engineering Prize (“placing names and faces to

professionals who generally remain anonymous”), and the Development Cooperation Prize, which

fi nances public works in basic infrastructure in developing countries.

http://acciona.sa/6xLZ30d0GkCVIDEO


24

HOW THEIR MIND WORKSWhy does the engineering mind need complex problems…and is never as happy with anything else?

allow the message to be interpreted correctly. José

Manuel González Herrero, manager of Maritime and

Hydraulic Engineering for the Company, recalls how

they learned that in Peru “it’s considered rude to say

no directly; if you receive an ambiguous response to

a proposal, it’s a no.” Misinterpreting this message

from a client could be messy, in terms of loss of con-

fi dence or even of the market.

CLEARING UP THE MYSTERYNo one knows how they did it, but they did; the

Grand Pyramid of Giza. Classical explanations sug-

gested that the Egyptians had constructed a default

ramp in order to transport blocks. However, in 2003,

Frederick Edwards demonstrated that this would

have supposed material costs three times greater

than the cost of the pyramid itself. Absurd. “The

engineering questions is obvious: why build ramps

when the pyramid itself has four inclined surfaces?”

Edwards’ explanation: dragging along those surfaces

using sleds and water in order to reduce friction.

This type of reactive thinking is a constant on

international projects. Sonia Bautista Carrascosa,

head of Geotechical and Foundations Manage-

ment for ACCIONA Engineering, smiles when she So

urc

e: S

cie

nce

Mu

seu

m (l

on

do

n)

SystemsIt sees the system

as a whole, in parts,

and how varying

forces connect. It

recognizes

interdependencies

and synthetizes

them.

VisualizingMoves from the

abstract to the

concrete; mentally

manipulates

materials, evoking

the physical space

in order to try out

design solutions

in it.

ProblemsClarifies needs,

checks solutions,

researches context.

Verifies everything.

AdaptationChecking,

analyzing,

reflecting; changing

both physically and

mentally.

CreativityApplies techniques

from different

traditions, critiques

generously yet

rigorously. Sees

engineering as a

team effort.

Non-conformityExperimenting,

sketching,

proving,

conjecturing…

ceaselessly

seeking how to do

it better.


25

ENGINEERING

25

How did they

do it? This is

the million

dollar question

regarding great

works in the past.

Genius becomes

sharper when

means are lacking.

recalls the incident. It happened in Australia, on

a highway which needed to be drawn up. Unex-

pected guests appeared on one of the stretches in

the form of fl ying foxes. Given that they are a pro-

tected species, it had been impossible to exam-

ine the terrain beforehand. Th e solution posited

by a local engineering firm: calculate the flight

distance for the flying foxes and leave an ample

median between the sides, with a forest in the

center and the precise distance measured, so that

the bats wouldn’t land on the asphalt.

THE BETTER IDEAAnother project of enormous magnitude involved

400 million euros to create a port in Açu, Brazil.

“The client’s idea was to construct it using stone

dikes and a dredged dock. When we analyzed it,

we decided to replace these dikes with drawers. Th e

quarries were 100 km away, but we could fill the

drawers with sand from the nearby. On top of that,

we delivered 2.5 km of dock to the client without

increasing the price,” pointed out González Herrero.

Th e genius applies to the ‘how’ as well. Isabel Reig

Ramos, manager of Tunnels, Structures and Instal-

lations, and Industrial Works, highlights the impor-

tance of presentation on the Follo Line project -the

most ambitious in Scandinavia for railroad tunnels.

“A 3D model was being executed with an incredi-

ble level of detail. We reinforced it with codifi cation

allowing us to learn the technical characteristics of

any element or installation defi ned in the project, or

constructed on the job.” Th e client was so convinced

by the methodology that it is adopting the format as

standard for his contracts. In fact, ACCIONA prior-

itize the use of BIM (Building Information Modeling)

platforms on all large infrastructure projects, begin-

ning with one specifi c area and in-house specialists

who design comprehensive projects.

LEGACY“One who desires to join this fraternity, and whose

father is a brother and weaver, and if he should

express himself honestly, he shall merit joining the

brotherhood.” Thus, the rules for the Weavers of

Stendal, a 13th Century guild. establish a pillar of

the trade; the need for a legacy. Without continui-

ty, knowledge is lost.

ACCIONA’s global competitiveness is also based on

this same transmission of knowledge from veterans

to newcomers, with experience happening onsite.

It has been this way since the Group’s beginnings,

when road engineer José Entrecanales Ibarra, of Bil-

bao, and Seville businessman Manuel Távora found-

ed Entrecanales y Távora, S.A., on 11 March 1931.

The Company’s initial projects included reno-

vating the San Telmo bridge in Seville, with sug-

gestions made by King Alfonso XIII to avoid it

blocking the view of the Torre del Oro, as well as

INGENUITY RESOLVES UNBELIEVABLE

CHALLENGES, SUCH AS THE FLYING FOXES ON AN

AUSTRALIAN HIGHWAY


26

ENGINEERING

JOBS TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY

1

2

3

4

5

1. The Follo Line

Twin railway tunnels (18.5

km long and 8.75 wide),

which will connect Oslo

and Ski. Carried out by

ACCIONA in partnership

with Ghella, the tunnels will

enter into operation in 2021,

representing the largest

transport infrastructure in

Norway’s history.

2. Hyperloop

A train faster than a com-

mercial airplane, able to

rune at speeds up to 1,200

km/h. Th e cabin is launched

using partial vacuum tubes

as well as induction motors

integrated into the track,

accelerating the vehicle

electrically. Th e fi rst stretch

will be completed in 2021, in

Abu Dhabi.

3. The Great Wall of China

Although the legend claim-

ing it can be seen from the

moon is false -that would

be like seeing a hair from six

kilometers away- it is per-

haps the greater engineer-

ing feat ever. As defensive

as it is dissuasive. Watch out

Mongolians, look what we

are able to build.

4. The Port of Açu

The enormous port com-

plex of Açu, in São João de

la Barra (Brazil), took over

four years for ACCIONA to

build. The total length of

its four dikes exceeds 5

km. It involved over 1000

workers and comprises

22,000 tons of steel.

5. Mars Terraformation

Colonization of Mars is

one of the most ambitious

engineering challenges in

history. Among the pro-

jects is one to restore Mars’

magnetic shield to create

a breathable atmosphere.

A temperature increase of

4⁰C will help melt the CO₂

of its northern pole, the

fi rst step in thawing.


27

ENGINEERING

work on Cádiz docks. In the post-war period, the

Company consolidated its position as one of the

country’s most innovative.

Th e Eighties and Nineties saw ACCIONA burst onto

the international stage, with diverse infrastructure

projects: the Tin-Kau (Hong Kong) and Cochrane

bridges (Alabama), the Guavio weir, the Medellín

Metrocable (Colombia), highway plans for the State

of Veracruz (Mexico). “Managing this knowledge

in global markets is a critical factor. Your engi-

neers’ experience on international projects defi nes

your ability to compete. Participating in these pro-

jects is like riding a bike; it can’t be learned from a

manual, you need to live it,” explains Acerete.

SUSTAINABILITYThis double legacy applies to the latest batches

of engineers as well; that of the Company, even

from before it became what it is today, and that of

their profession and its distant origins. “Without

engineering there would be no world. It would be

impossible to live without it. It’s an essential activity

which we, as a society, ought to focus on,” affi rmed

Projects technician Maite Varela Magdalena. For

“ENGINEERING IS BASED ON RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS; YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN STEP WITH THEM”

MIGUEL ÁNGEL CARRILLO SUÁREZDean of the Spanish Association of Road, Canal

and Port Engineers, Madrid.

“We are professionals who improve quality of life”

Belén Ferreira Falero, of Sustainable Development

Management and Consultation, “engineering is

based on responding to human needs. You need to

stay in step with them. Adapting to these demands

is just as important as a spectacular structure. Today

we can’t even conceive of a project without taking

its sustainability into account.”

http://acciona.sa/loYN30d6VQLVIDEO

Engineering has existed

from the first moment

that man sharpened a

rock, or succeeded in

making a bonfire. “Hu-

mans have spent their

lives coming up with ways

to improve their circum-

stances. One could almost

say that engineering has

existed as long as we

have.”Carrillo Suárez is

clear about where this

relevance stems from:

“We are professionals who

improve quality of life for

people.”

Engineering took its time

becoming a separate dis-

cipline. During Antiquity

and the Middle Ages, it

was disorderly knowledge

shared by artisans, stone-

masons and builders. “The

accumulated experience

allowed them deeper

understanding of complex

technical questions as well

as transmitting these to

later generations. Julius

Caesar left a guide for

sketching Roman wedges.

”In the shift from the 18th

to the 19th centuries, this

knowledge was institu-

tionalized in Spain thanks

to one whose name was

as extensive as his genius,

Agustín Pedro del Carmen

Domingo de Candelaria

de Betancourt y Molina

(1758-1824), founder of

the School for Roads. “He

gave the profession both

technical content and

patrons to guide the con-

struction of bridges and

highways,” said Mr Carrillo

Suárez.The difference be-

tween trained engineering

and the extensive, yet

diffuse, knowledge that

existed then, lies in this

systematization. “It is a

matter of calculation, of

exactness. Today we make

models of everything we

do and we know precisely

how the materials will be-

have under the conditions

to which we submit them.

“We are creating large

works in all sectors of

engineering. Our training,

at least until the Bolo-

gna Process, was global.

Students were used to

confronting problems in an

exam which had little to do

with what they had done

in class. Having access to

a more general training

than in other countries

has prepared us to face

just about anything.”


28

HISTORY

Attentive observers might

have remarked at the time

that “science is forging ahead.”

Th is was certainly the case

with bridge engineering in the

1940s, as locomotives and

carriages got bigger and the

old iron frameworks creaked

as trains powered over. On

the Córdoba-Marchena line,

which since the 19th Century

had been carrying people and

cereals along a stretch of 100

kilometers and nine stations,

Entrecanales and Távora repla-

ced the former metal structure

with this reinforced concrete

one. Indeed, the bridge has

survived the railway, the latter

being shut down in the 1970s

like so many small branch lines.

Nowadays, bikers and hikers

are the ones using it, as they

explore the Campiña Green-

way. Still in service after all

these years.

BRIDGE OVER THE GUADALMAZÁN RIVER, ON THE LINE THAT EVERYONE CALLED ‘LA MARCHENILLA’

by Patricia Alcorta

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

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29

28-29_ACCIONA_Historicas_ENG.indd 2928-29_ACCIONA_Historicas_ENG.indd 29 5/7/17 18:595/7/17 18:59

30

ODIT VERE CAE TINC VES OR

by Ángel Luis Sucasas

30

PREVENTION OF WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS. PROJECT VISUALIZATION. TRAINING FOR COMPLEX SURGICAL OPERATIONS… VIRTUAL, AUGMENTED, MIXED AND CAPTURED REALITIES ALLOW CONTROL AND MODIFICATION LIKE NEVER BEFORE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD. AND IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.

L I V I N G F A N T A S Y

F o u r d i g i t a l s i m u l a t i o n t e c h n o l o g i e s

Simulation

technologies save

time and money

on logistics,

security and

man-hours.

30-33_ACCIONA_Como_Funciona_ENG.indd 3030-33_ACCIONA_Como_Funciona_ENG.indd 30 5/7/17 19:035/7/17 19:03

31

THOW IT WORKS

31

H E B A S I C I D E A I S S I M P L E : M O D I F Y P H Y S I C A L R E A L I T Y U S I N G D I G I TA L E L E M E N T S …

….whether by incorporating them or creating

them from scratch. Th e possibilities are endless.

Last year, virtual reality finally took its great

leap forward as a mass product, even if sales are

not yet as spectacular as the technology. Oculus

helmets (Google), HTC Vive (Valve and HTC) and

PlayStation VR (Sony) introduced a new type

of entertainment to the market, possible only

in the virtual dimension. The products’ march

continues in 2017. Devices such as Hololens

(Microsoft) are capable of superimposing any

digital element on to the physical world. Vir-

tual simulators allow surgeons to gain dexter-

ity and precision before undertaking complex

operations. And Hollywood has already begun

to include short virtual reality fi lms as part of its

promotional material at fi lm premières.

Th e new digital realities mean a business oppor-

tunity as varied as their applications. Accord-

ing to Goldman Sachs, in 2025 video games and

entertainment will generate a third of revenues.

Greenlight Insights, which undertook one of

the most exhaustive studies of this new indus-

try, provides dizzying figures. There will be a

tenfold increase from 2017 to 2021, reaching 70

billion euros. The most revealing information

involves how the pie will be divided. Currently,

industrial uses for virtual comprise only 1.3% of

profits. In 2021, this will rise to 24.2%; an

increase of nearly 2,000%.

ACCIONA is not hopping aboard; we’re in the

driver’s seat. Our global strategy integrates each

of these new realities (captured, virtual, aug-

mented and mixed, the latter being the inte-

gration of virtual and augmented with physi-

cal reality) in all our business areas. “It’s often

thought that they’re used only in video games.

Th is is a mistake. We have already applied them

in fi elds as varied as simulation, design software,

sales, training and marketing,” explains Héc-

tor Antón Fernández, head of the Mixed Reality

section of the Technology Transfer Department.

Let’s fi nd out how and for what.

VIRTUALATOP A GIANT WIND TURBINEThe ACCIONA Windfarm Experience project

employs virtual reality to obtain astounding

perspectives from the top of wind turbine gen-

erators. Th anks to HTC Vive glasses, this training

and business development application provides a

view of the interior of the working turbine. With

this device, ACCIONA Energy clients can visual-

ize the detail in each of the turbine’s technolog-

ical elements. There is even an option to disas-

semble the components. Without this technolo-

gy, simple physical and safety limitations would

render it impossible for the client to analyze at

ease how each and every turbine operates within

a wind farm, control its output, detect anomalies

and prevent faults from occurring. Th e viewpoint

makes all the difference. This is a unique expe-

rience, developed by ACCIONA in collaboration

with ACCIONA Energy.

AUGMENTEDTHE RIGHT TO FREEDOM (OF DESIGN)One of the projects in augmented reality will

take care of what has been an incongruence;


32

the engineers design in 3D but are then forced to

translate these ideas into 2D construction plans,

only to once again construct the same plans in

three dimensions. In this project, designed in

collaboration with the American company Trim-

ble, the engineers can put on Hololens glasses

and manage their designs as three-dimension-

al holograms, visible from all perspectives and

integrated in real time in the actual project. “We

want to settle this problem in order to help both

the designers and the workers on the project, so

that they can work in three dimensions any given

moment,” says José Daniel García Espinel, direc-

tor of Technology Transfer for ACCIONA.

The project has been tested as a pilot devel-

oped by ACCIONA Engineering at As Pontes

thermal power station in Eume, La Coruña,

Spain, to repair geometrically-complex cover

parts. This way, the repairs could involve both

a operative onsite at As Pontes and an expert

in the Madrid office.

VIRTUAL AND MIXEDTRY IT OUT AND WANDERAROUND AT WILL

Instructing an apprentice in a complex techni-

cal process used to require an expert onsite to

do it properly. Now virtual reality has moved

such teaching a giant step forward. “Along with

ACCIONA Agua, we designed a virtual reali-

ty training module which allows workers to

learn how a sludge pump works, step by step,”

explained José Daniel García Espinel.

Th is solution has been integrated into the puri-

fication plant at La Almunia de Doña Godina,

installations whose costly operations need to

continue unabated as the technician learns on

the job. Using the module, which forms part

of the purification plant’s Augmented Facility

Management project, risks and consequences

are minimized during the trial-and-error phase.

Any mistakes made only occur in the virtual

universe. Another of the project’s strengths lies

in the fact that any of the technicians can con-

nect remotely and follow the training from any-

where in the world. Another module designed

for this project involves using Virtual or Aug-

mented Reality glasses to visualize the plant’s

control center in real time, personalizing the

information and alarms.

CAPTUREDSCANNING, RECORDING, RECREATING REALITYACCIONA now possesses devices which allow

one to enter a building or a job and digitally cap-

ture any of the elements; not as a two-dimen-

sional image, but as a 3D object from which the

engineers can then measure or manipulate using

a software application. The tools used include

sophisticated scanner combined with camer-

as able to record 360⁰. A pilot was launched in a

Madrid offi ce building, where the entire interior

surface was captured, allowing potential clients

to visit virtually from anywhere in the world, and

visualize positioning, partitioning, furnishing and

other possibilities. Other business models include

A technician

visits the

inside of a

desalination

plant in

Adelaide,

Australia,

using a virtual

reality device.


33

HOW IT WORKS

ROBOTICS, ENGINEERING, MARS AND ARCHITECTURE

1. Baby X. A 3D baby who

learns emotions, how

to gesture and how to

speak, just as a biological

child would; by commu-

nicating with other hu-

mans. An innovation by

Soul Machines for a new

generation of assistants,

endowed with artifi cial

intelligence.

2. Surgical Th eater. A startup off ering

surgeons the possibility

to immerse themselves

in a three dimensional

reconstruction of the

patient’s body, taking

into account any ana-

tomical peculiarities and

their pathology, down to

the last detail.

3. Pioneer on Mars. NASA

employs Hololens glasses

by Microsoft in order to

recreate the augmented

reality of the red planet,

employing information

sent by the space vehicle

Curiosity. Th e reproduc-

tion of the Martian terrain

could serve exploratory

purposes prior to a possi-

ble manned mission..

4 IrisVR. Wandering

through a project in

detail before the fi rst

stone has even been

laid. Th is company has

turned this into reality

thanks to an engineering

and architecture applica-

tion which recreates the

model of the structure

or the infrastructure to

be built, to the millimeter.

scanning historical artefacts and preserving them

digitally, creating a BIM model in 3D, and obtain-

ing plans for existing infrastructures or buildings.

AREEXA PERSONAL ASSISTANT IN THE TOOLBOXAREEX is the acronym for Remote Assistance

Expert. Th e technology involves a camera

mounted on a worker’s helmet. Company

experts can assist the worker without being

present onsite. Benefi ts include freeing up the

operator’s two hands and drastically minimiz-

ing the risk of workplace accidents in complex

or dangerous operations, e.g. in live electrical

substations, since both technician and super-

vising engineer can observe events simultane-

ously. In this way, the expert will be better able

to precision-guide the worker, improving the

operation’s effi ciency and anticipating danger.

Previously, the only method of communication

was by phone and the expert on the other end

only had a verbal description to go on. Both

visual and audio information from the operator

now feed back to control.

1

2

3

4

A R E E X S I G N I F I C A N T LY M I N I M I Z E S T H E

O P E R AT I O N A L R I S K S O F

W O R K I N G I N L I V E E L E C T R I C A L

S U B S TAT I O N S

http://acciona.sa/NLWh30d0GjeVIDEO


34

RECICLAJE

34

E V E R Y T H I N G

T R A N S F O R M E D

34

34-39_ACCIONA_Residuos_ENG.indd 3434-39_ACCIONA_Residuos_ENG.indd 34 5/7/17 19:075/7/17 19:07

35

RECICLAJE

ENERGY CAN NEITHER BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED... AND WASTE DOESN’T JUST ACCUMULATE ENDLESSLY. THE TRANSFORMATION OF WASTE INTO CLEAN ENERGY IS ONE OF THE TENETS OF SUSTAINABILITY, SO LONG AS WASTE IS RECYCLED INTO AN EQUALLY HEALTHY BUSINESS.

by

Miguel Ángel Bargueño

35


36

RECICLAJE

S In addition to loving music, human beings

also have a disproportionate ability to gener-

ate waste. In 2014, almost 470 kilos of waste

were collected per person in Spain. However,

the generation of waste is still unsustainable,

particularly in big cities.

Waste is one of the most complex, and con-

stantly increasing, environmental challeng-

es. The United Nations estimates that 46,000

pieces of plastic fl oat on each square mile of sea.

And according to the European Environmental

Agency, Spain was recycling a mere 33% of its

waste in 2014. Austria was at 56%, Belgium at

55% and Switzerland at 54%.

“It’s not about generating waste. It’s about not

doing anything with that waste,” says Gunter

Pauli. Aside from pioneering recycling as a

moral imperative, the Belgian-born eco buff

has stressed the financial opportunities of an

emerging industry, which still has a long road

ahead. Nicknamed The Steve Jobs of sustainabil-

ity, Pauli has written an iconic book: The Blue

Economy (2010). “A tree produces tons of leaves

that become useless every fall, but fungi, bacte-

ria and worms transform them into soil... Th ey

I N G E R J O R G E D R E X L E R S U M M A R I Z E S T H E P O E T I C S O F R E C Y C L I N G I N O N E O F H I S T R A C K S : “ T H E R E I S N O T H I N G S I M P L E R . T H E R E I S N O O T H E R N O R M . N O T H I N G I S L O S T, E V E R Y T H I N G I S T R A N S F O R M E D . ”


37

RECYCLING

Giving waste a happy

ending (either as energy

or as new objects)

depends on the habits

of humanity as a whole,

not only on generating

technological

innovation.

Participative recycling: Machines that

commend recycling

with vouchers or raffle

tickets. In Mislata

(Valencia) and Villareal

(Castellón).

Separating organic biomass at home. Milan. The initiative

looked doubtful given

that Italians are not

big on discipline.

The communication

campaign was so

powerful (recycling

saves taxes), however,

that the project worked:

100 kilos/inhabitant/

year; 2% of waste.

Out with the old. H&M and Mango give

customers a discount

on new clothes when

they recycle old

garments. Decathlon

organizes Trocathlon,

a second-hand fair for

sports goods.

‘Alargascencia’. Almost everyone

has heard about the

light bulb that has

been burning since

1901. And everyone

complains about

how fast-moving

consumer gadgets

like printers break.

Th e Alargascencia

initiative confronts

the disposable

lifestyle, and planned

obsolescence, by

resurrecting objects.

Approximately 500

repair shops have

jumped on board the

initiative in Spain.

According

to the

European

Environmental

Agency, Spain

was recycling

a mere 33%

of its waste in

2014.

either for waste (Mechanical-Biological Pro-

cessing, removing the contaminants that aff ect

both the atmosphere and the subsoil) or com-

posting and landfi lls.

The 2016 contract with Madrid City Council to

service the eastern part of the Spanish capi-

tal was the first to see 100%-electric garbage

collection trucks driving around the districts

of Hortaleza, Barajas, San Blas-Canillejas, Ciu-

dad Lineal, Vicálvaro, Moratalaz, Salamanca,

Chamartín and Retiro. Furthermore, the fleet

will be upgraded with side-loading trucks

that, aside from optimizing the service, will

also allow for additional activities, including

door-to-door glass and paper collection, high-

are constantly recycled because nothing is lost,

everything is transformed.” Pauli puts a twist

on the concept of sustainability: in his opinion,

circular economy is good, but not good enough.

Economy needs to generate wealth.

INTEGRAL MANAGEMENTACCIONA is a key player in this industry. The

Company collects organic matter and waste by

selection (glass, paper, cardboard, containers).

It oversees the supply, placement, maintenance

and cleaning of recycling bins, house-to-house

waste collection and the management of eco

parks and waste collection points. ACCIONA

also manages transfer and processing plants,

RECYCLE YOUR HABITS


38

RECYCLING

T H E WA S T E -TO -E N E RG Y M O D E L R E D U C E S M E T H A N E A N D C O2 E M I S S I O N S

WASTE TO ENERGYTh e technological advance that has most benefi t-

ed the sector as a business is the Waste-to-Ener-

gy (WtE) process, a smart energy source recov-

ered from trash (waste that cannot be recycled

and given a second life).

The Confederation of European Waste-to-En-

ergy Plants believes that: “Recycling and

Waste-to-Energy are complementary options

in order to divert waste from landfilling and

reduce greenhouse eff ect emissions. Th is avoids

the generation of methane, a gas 25 times more

potent than CO2.” Incineration is the preferred

system, although gasification, pyrolysis and

fermentation are also used.

WtE technology is a priority for the Company.

Sograma (A Coruña) is one of Spain’s pioneer

plants, designed and built by ACCIONA. First,

the plant transforms non-recyclable Urban Sol-

id Waste (USW) into a type of Refuse-Derived

Fuel (RDF) and then runs it through a steam

boiler to produce electricity. Th e plant process-

es 488,000 metric tons of USW/year and pro-

duces 515,000 MWh a year of clean energy.

BIOMASS PLANTSACCIONA has also spearheaded the design, con-

struction and operation of biomass plants for the

large-scale generation of electricity. Biomass

refers to decayed plant and animal matter that

off er excellent ecological sustainability, stability

and predictability, since the supply of raw mat-

ter is constant and does not depend on changing

factors such as meteorology.

ACCIONA Energy operates three plants in Spain

that together generate 61 MW energy from burning

cereal straw: Sangüesa (Navarra) since 2002, and

Briviesca (Burgos) and Miajadas (Cáceres) since

2010. These facilities have set a standard for the

development of biomass to generate electricity in

southern Europe, and process a combined 400,000

tonnes/year of cereal straw and other farm waste

to produce electricity to power 140,000 house-

holds. All without increasing CO2 emissions.

Sogama

solid waste

plant

(Cerceda,

A Coruña,

Spain),

pioneering

the Waste-to-

Energy model.

er frequency in the collection of organic and

plastic waste, and the cleaning of dumpsters.

Last, but not least, a fifth dumpster for bio

waste is also to be introduced.

“Th e amount of waste produced is constantly on

the rise, so it is critical to implement new meth-

ods and technology for waste management, as

well as raise awareness among the population

regarding the benefits of recycling,” explains

Diego García Gómez, technical director for

Urban Services at ACCIONA Service.


39

http://acciona.sa/naaO30d0GgQVIDEO

MY T-SHIRT WAS

A BOTTLE OF WATER

Ecoembes is an important

part of Spain’s recycling

history. Over the course

of 21 years, the company

has contributed to

recycling 17.9 million

tonnes of packaging and

avoided the emission

of more than 17.7 million

tonnes of CO2.

Th ey know how to get

their message across.

“At home, you worry

about saving energy,

about cleaning, don’t

you?” points out

Cristina Muñoz, head of

corporate communication

at Ecoembes. “Well,

consider that the world

is everyone’s home.

When you explain what

you do today will aff ect

your future and your

children’s future, people

begin to realize the planet

is their responsibility.” In

2016, three out of four

plastic containers were

recycled in Spain. “Th e EU

establishes that countries

should recycle 55%, so

Spain is 20% above that

limit,” she says. But it still

has a long way to go with

other materials, Ms Muñoz

points out. “Containers

only make up 8% of

urban waste. Textiles,

cellulose, industrial waste...

those sectors don’t hit

acceptable recycling

rates.”

Th rowaway products

can have a fascinating

second life. Cans can be

used to make bicycle

rims. Polyethylene

terephthalate (PET)

bottles can be turned

into t-shirts and

backpacks. Newspapers

into shoeboxes, and

so on.“Check the

label to see if they’re

manufactured with

recycled material. Th e

best waste is no waste.”

Nevertheless, the transformation of waste into

energy is yet to be considered a global industry.

According to Gunter Pauli: “Generation needs

to embrace new techniques that produce more

than energy. We have to design productive sys-

tems that generate added value.”

Pauli gives an example. “Seaweed farms on

large platforms are an extraordinary source of

fertilizer, but if the biomass were to be miner-

alized in an anaerobic environment, without

oxygen, the fertilizer would produce biogas at

a rate of 4,200 cubic meters per hour per hec-

tare... and would generate fertilizer. Th at is the

new logic. It is not just about leveraging waste

to recover energy, it’s about generating fertiliz-

ers and biogas at the same time.”

We need more than our imagination to make

progress, he says. “We need to establish a per-

manent dialogue between the new science, the

knowledge of how nature works, and the abil-

ity to respond to the basic needs of each life-

style with locally-sourced products. As well

as science, we need new business models that

transform society.”

Composting

and sludge

drying plant

built by

ACCIONA

in Loeches,

Madrid.

Operational

since 2011.


4040

Three decades after the term “sustainable devel-

opment” was born, few people question decar-

bonization is one of the pillars, as well as the

engine of, economic opportunity. “But deni-

al is still doing a lot of damage. When a govern-

ment states that global warming doesn’t exist,

citizens can’t be sure that it is in fact real,” says

Joaquín Mollinedo, ACCIONA’s Institutional Rela-

tions, Sustainability and Brand Director General.

Then, if some authorities deny the evidence, laws

will have to be delivered with forceps.

This means publicizing the effects of climate

change accurately, stirring people’s con-

science and paving the way for regulation.

Any structural change has its benefi ts and draw-

backs. What those in favour of regulation pro-

pose is to stop burning CO2. Th ose who burn the

greatest amount of CO2 oppose this. “At inter-

national level, this is more complex, because

nobody has the power to impose their view over

everyone else, so we need to construct voluntary

means, such as treaties. Once they’re signed,

they must be binding,” explains Mr Mollinedo.

“We’re currently facing this regulatory chal-

lenge, as well as problems with time and geo-

graphical solidarity.”

On the one hand, this means taking on the costs

for the benefit of future generations; on the oth-

er, the relative cost is different for each country.

The task appears easier for those slowing down

the process than for those driving it forward.

Th ose in favour of decarbonization are making pro-

T H E G R E E N E C O N O M Y I N L A WNEXT STEP: COOL DOWN THE PLANET WITH LAWS THAT LIMIT THE CO2 OVERDOSE AND PROMOTE DECARBONIZATION AS A GREAT AND RENEWABLE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

by

Jano Remesal

Ilustration

Del Hambre

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41

REGULATION

41

WHAT SPAIN (AND THE WORLD) SHOULD LEGISLATE FOR

1 Stimulating electricity

consumption from renewable

sources and making progress

in producing electricity from

renewable sources.

2 Renewable energy public

purchase schemes.

3 Promoting new uses such

as electric transport: cars, public

transport, railway, etc.

4 Making progress with

environmental tax schemes.

Principle of “who pollutes pays”.

5 Public contracting programmes

and communication campaigns

backing consumption from

renewable sources.

6 Incentivizing investment in

renewable energy: tax reductions

and deductions, improved

amortization, boosting fi nancing

(green bonds), etc.

gress, but at a slower rate than they would like. In

Spain, the announced Law on Energy Transition and

Climate Change, currently at the preliminary draft

stage, should be a genuine constitution for climate

and environmental purposes. Its defenders want this

legislation and the Energy and Climate Plan for 2020-

2030 to change society by decarbonizing the econ-

omy. “Th ey have to transform the way we consume

and produce by eliminating greenhouse gas emis-

sions,” adds the sustainability expert.

But to what extent, and how they are going to do

this, is dependent on political hard bargaining.

Th e renewables sector has a clear idea of the essen-

tial content of the law. Many companies are concen-

trating on reducing the tax load on renewable energy

to make their business more attractive. What they

want most is to distance themselves from fossil fuels.

OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTHAccording to Mr Mollinedo, the key is in promot-

ing the use of renewable energy on land, at sea and

in the air, but also in land transport. “Th is must be

done now because this is the sector that most lags

behind.” Th is refocusing must necessarily involve

clear economic signals that promote decarboniza-

tion, especially setting a minimum carbon price, as

the United Kingdom has done, or an emissions tax.

Or even a combination of both.

Will it be achieved? Failure to do this would be

short-sighted, because decarbonization implies

growth: mini-networks, the energy Internet, stor-

age, electric vehicles, etc. Th ere is not a great deal

of work in Spain in high value-added sectors with

cutting-edge technology, the kind that resists glo-

balization. And the public purse situation means

that creating new wealth

is in the hands of private

investors. Spain is at risk

of becoming a country of

waiters or engineers.

This energy transition

will also have another

very significant effect

for Spain, whose ener-

gy dependence means it

exports euros to import

oil and gas. With decar-

bonization based on

renewables and effi-

ciency, the country

could earmark those

euros for developing

new investments and

services, as well as for

exporting energy and

clean technology.

The pioneers pay for

the learning curve, but

the pay-off is that they

obtain lasting benefits

over time. Companies

like ACCIONA, which is

spearheading decarbon-

ization, control the entire value chain and know

how to integrate it into the electricity system.

“When we compete abroad, we win tenders and

bidding processes, because we have the technolo-

gy, but we also have the experience… and the relia-

bility,” concludes Mr Mollinedo.

RENEWABLE... AND PROFITABLERenewable

energies will create 900,000 new jobs

in the EU by 2030

THEY CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCING ELECTRICITY TARIFFS

For every percentage point of renewable energy penetration in the electricity mix, the market

price drops €0.4/MWh

THEY SAVED EUROPE €16 BILLION

ON FOSSIL FUEL imports in 2015

By 2030, the figure will be more like €58 BILLION a year

http://acciona.sa/4N1b30d0GeUVIDEO

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42

HARVESTING ELECTRICITY FROM THE WIND, STORING WHAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND RELEASING IT ONLY WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS TO USE IT, OR IT BECOMES MORE PROFITABLE OR EFFICIENT. AN OBJECTIVE CLOSER THAN EVER TO BEING REACHED THANKS TO THE FIRST HYBRID WIND PLANT WITH BATTERIES IN SPAIN, BUILT BY ACCIONA.

by Santiago Gómez López

S T O R I N G T H E W I N D

42

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43

Technology for the storage of

electricity produced from the sun and wind will serve as an important ally against climate

change.

…he could never have imagined the impact it would

have on the global energy system 200 years later.

Storing electricity is fast becoming an essential com-

plement to the electrical system dominated by clean

energy sources. Technological development and fall-

ing costs have transformed the descendants of that

fi rst battery into an increasingly effi cient option for

storing power in order to use it only when neces-

sary. The electricity we consume when turning on

the light or the air conditioning is produced at that

very moment in an electricity generating plant and

fed through a network until it reaches our homes.

Electricity cannot be stored in large quantities; that’s

why it’s crucial to maintain a constant equilibrium

between production and consumption, for the sys-

tem to function in a secure, reliable manner.

Until now, the balance of the system has been

maintained by increasing or reducing production

at conventional centers, but with wind and sun

there are no deposits to call on. Both are variable

sources, subject to natural cycles. In the future,

however, it will be increasingly important to rely

on technological solutions that permit the storage

of energy produced at a wind farm or solar plant,

as well as its release when necessary. Respond-

ing to increased demand in this way would result

in a better economic return from the installation,

and/or satisfy the operator of the grid who requires

more “juice” for technical needs.

NOT SO DISTANT FUTUREAccording to the International Energy Agency (IEA),

if we want to fulfi ll the Paris Accords and maintain

global warming below 2⁰C this century, by 2030

30% of worldwide electric production must be

generated using wind and solar. Both technologies

together will, at that point, serve as the main source

of generation for both the EU and the USA. By 2035,

it will for China and India, too.

Storing electricity will allow the maximum exploita-

tion of renewable generation, which at times cannot

be used due to insuffi cient demand. Th e IEA has cal-

culated that, without either electric storage or intel-

ligent systems for managing demand, up to 80% of

wind and solar production will be lost, as it cannot be

absorbed by the electric system. Th is would clearly

prejudice its economic competitiveness and effec-

tiveness as an agent against climate change.

Th e current capacity for electrical storage is approx-

imately equal to 3% of all the power installed in the

world, and is mainly obtained from pumped storage

hydroelectric stations such as lp in Huesca, Spain,

which ACCIONA operates.

Yet chemical batteries (primarily ion-lithium) have

the advantage of being easily installed anywhere.

IN 1 8 0 0 , W H E N T H E P H Y S I C I S T A L E S S A N D R O V O L T A I N V E N T E D T H E F I R S T E L E C T R I C B A T T E R Y …


44

Th ey are quickly becoming an attractive option due

to falling costs and effi ciency improvements driven

by the development of electric vehicles and residen-

tial and commercial applications.

Analysts predict an important increase in bat-

tery-based systems. In utility-scale projects

alone, Navigant consultants foresee billing in the

range of 18,000 million dollars in 2023, compared

to 220 million in 2014, a period during which the

annual storage capacity of batteries will grow

from 360 MW to 14,000 MW.

It is not yet clear which technological solutions

will prevail in the renewable electric systems of the

future. What no one doubts is that the massive inte-

gration of renewables will require electrical systems

able to adapt to new sources of variable generation.

Th is fl exibility will be achieved through a series of

measures, ranging from storage to demand manage-

ment, use of electric vehicles and creation of greater

interconnectivity in ever smarter networks.

MORE EFFICIENT ENERGY MANAGEMENT

The batteries accumulate the

energy produced by the wind

turbine generator and release

it when necessary. This allows:

1 The supply of energy

to the network when there

is increased demand (com-

manding as such a higher

price), even when the wind is

not blowing.

2 Storage of energy in the

batteries when the wind blows

but demand is insufficient,

avoiding the loss of electricity

produced or sale at a low price.

3 Supply or use of energy

from the network in order

to improve the quality of

energy provided to the

network, or to attend to the

technical requirements of the

system operator.

The entire system is managed

through control software

developed for ACCIONA

Energy, and is permanently

supervised by the Company’s

Renewable Energies Control

Center (CECOER).

ACCIONA’s storage

plant in the Barásoain

Experimental Park.


45

CLEAN ENERGY

http://acciona.sa/6BTz30d0G9DVÍDEO

“ELECTRICAL STORAGE WILL ALLOW ENERGY TO BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH TIME”BELÉN LINARES, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION FOR ACCIONA ENERGY

he brain governing the storage

plant at Barasoain is soft-

ware developed internally by

ACCIONA Energy’s Innovation

Department. Along with the

installation’s control program, the Innova-

tion team has developed a simulation tool

which allows measurement and optimiza-

tion for storage systems integrated in wind

farms at the project stage as well as those

which are fully operative: ADOSA.

Th e Spanish Wind Energy Association has

bestowed its highest annual honor in R&D,

the 2017 Eolo Innovation Award, on the two

engineers responsible for the ADOSA project,

Asun Padrós Razquin and Raquel Rojo Ochoa

- the faces of a collective eff ort by an exten-

sive team of ACCIONA professionals.

Th e engineers believe that incorporating the

economic dimension is a novel aspect. “Th e

project has developed a leading methodol-

ogy which allows situation evaluation from

the techno-economic viewpoint, as well as

identifi cation of those in which the wind or

solar photovoltaic installations with storage

are competitive,” they say. Th is information

will enable planning of future investment,

while taking into account whether or not

it is a good idea to incorporate a storage

system and of what size.

Asun and Raquel, industrial engineering

graduates of Navarre University, have

worked at the Company for 10 years.

What they most value in their work is the

opportunity to “contribute actively to the

mitigation of climate change,” they said.

T E C H N O L O G Y W I T H A P R I Z E

All will require redesigning electricity market oper-

ations. As Belén Linares, Director of Innovation for

ACCIONA Energy, points out: “Transportation and

distribution networks have allowed us to move elec-

trical energy through space, from its place of gener-

ation to the consumption location. Electrical stor-

age is the tool which will allow us to transfer energy

through time, consuming it at a diff erent moment.”

PIONEERING PLANTWithin this context, ACCIONA have been pioneers in

starting up the fi rst hybrid storage plant in Spain for

wind energy. “Th is is the fi rst model plant, the initial

step towards greater incorporation of renewable ener-

gies into the energy mix, as well as a strategic option

in the ACCIONA Energy portfolio,” explains Linares.

Located in the Barásoain Experimental Wind Park,

it uses a system of two Li-ion Samsung SDI technol-

ogy batteries, connected to one of the five Nordex

ACCIONA Windpower 3MW AW116/3000 turbines

that make up the park.

Within the plant, solutions will be applied allowing

the delivery of advanced technology services ori-

ented towards improving the quality of the energy

injected into the system. Analysis will be carried

out on functions such as the provision of services in

keeping with the electrical system, or the displace-

ment of energy provision to the network at those

moments in which a greater demand is registered,

improving the installation’s economic output. The

project has benefi ted from fi nancing from the Euro-

pean Fund for Regional Development (FEDER),

which manages the Center for the Development of

Industrial Technology (CDTI) in Spain.

T

Asun Pradós

Razquin

(left), Juan

Diego Díaz

(President of

the Spanish

Wind Energy

Association)

and Raquel

Rojo Ochoa.


4646

A R O U N D T H E W O R L D I N E I G H T E X P O S

FROM SEVILLE TO ASTANA, PASSING THROUGH SWITZERLAND, AICHI, SHANGHAI, YEOSU, ZARAGOZA AND LISBON: 25 YEARS OF STUNNING

SHOWS AT INTERNATIONAL OR UNIVERSAL EXPOS

by

Patricia Acorta

Above, the

UAE Pavilion

at Astana

2017. Next

page: left, the

Kazakhstan

Pavilion at

Astana 2017;

right, the

ACCIONA

Pavilion at

Zaragoza

2008; below,

the Spain

Pavilion at

Astana 2017.

APD was created with a mission. Th e Company

took off during Spain’s most international year

to multi-task on the development of a good part

of Seville ‘92. Th e light show on the lake will be

forever etched into the minds of thousands of

visitors. Th at laser system spearheaded outdoor

events and currently acts as a yardstick for the

company’s technological growth.

APD set a standard then and continues to do so

now, a quarter of a century later, with anoth-

er global event. The 2017 Astana International

Expo being held in Kazakhstan from 10 June to

10 September on the theme of “Future Energy”.

The numbers surrounding APD’s participation

in three pavilions speak for themselves: map-

ping of 1,000 m2, projection surface of 2,430 m2,

more than 40 audiovisual elements, 11 interac-

tive devices and an exhibition area spreading out

over 6,500 m2. Th e technology has advanced, but

the company’s core values remain unchanged: to

develop innovative projects that inspire reason,

emotion and awareness in visitors, focusing on

sustainable projects based on a rational use of all

available resources.

APD achieved this goal with Imago during Switzer-

land Expo 2002, with a design that refl ected visual-

ly on the duality of “I and the Universe” with color

tracers, lasers and fireworks. The mission was also

accomplished with the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, one of

the most popular, at Shanghai 2010, which used light

to project allegories of water, desert, riverbanks and

geometric Arabic latticework on concave walls and

fl oors. Th e design was recognized with fi ve awards.

THE GOLD OF THE WATERACCIONA constructed the whole venue at Zaragoza

2008, dividing it into three exhibition areas: Earth,

objects emerging from a crevice; Air, a landscape

formed by 53 suspended spheres, and; Water, an

interactive and changing area.

A river fl owed inside the Aragón Pavilion, refl ecting

the audiovisual piece entitled Agua y Futuro, direct-

ed by Carlos Saura. APD also built the pavilions for

Oman, showing how the Gulf country has opti-

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47

EXPOS APD

47

mized the use of the real liquid gold (water), and

Russia, for whom it recreated Lake Baikal, the del-

ta of the Volga and the Arctic, among other hydric

ecosystems. ACCIONA again developed the Russian

Pavilion for Yeosu 2012, where visitors could stand

in the prow of a ship to explore the Northern Sea

Route or steer an icebreaker from a control panel.

For Lisbon ‘98, the Company went cosmopolitan by

building various pavilions, for Mexico (most pop-

ular pavilion award), Turkey (one of the top three

national pavilions), Tunisia and the UN.

For Aichi 2005, APD recreated Turkey using 3D

audiovisuals inspired by the Sunni philosophy on

the geometry of nature in art. Th e design was recog-

nized with the Gold Medal for Best Pavilion (architect

Hilmi Senalp) and earned another award for exceed-

ing one million visitors in three months. Th anks to

APD’s standing in the Middle East, a new feather will

soon be added to its cap: Dubai 2020.

Spain PavilionDesign and

execution. Past,

present and future

of natural resource

exploitation, and

innovation in the

sustainability of

energy sources. 868

m2. Central hub with

houses displaying

diff erent energy

production methods

as a metaphor of the

global village.

National Pavilion of Kazakhstan, host country Designed as a giant

sphere. APD has built

the 2400 m2 ground

fl oor exhibition

area dedicated to

Kazakhstan, as well

as an 800 m2 second

level dedicated to

hydro power. Th e

pavilion will be

the focal point of

the Astana Expo,

accommodating a

permanent Museum

of Energy.

United Arab Emirates PavilionConstruction,

multimedia

experiences,

interactive devices

and immersive 270º

audiovisual theater,

with projections on

the fl oor and ceiling

about the past,

present and future

of the country’s

energy sector.

‘FUTURE ENERGY’

Is the theme for Astana 2017. Some 200 APD professionals are working

on stage sets and creative designs that raise awareness regarding the

importance of using energy in a sustainable and responsible manner.

It consists of a triple challenge:

http://acciona.sa/HIGr30d0G7dVÍDEO

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48

Y O U N G ( A N D R E S C U E D ) T A L E N TTENURED EXECUTIVES MENTOR YOUNG, ENTHUSIASTIC -BUT JOBLESS- UNIVERSITY GRADUATES. THIS COACHING MODEL FOCUSES ON MOTIVATION AND OUTLINES A REALISTIC ROADMAP TOWARDS A GOOD FIRST JOB.

by

Beatriz Portinari

Young. Newly graduated. But the future ahead

doesn’t look as promising as promised. Graduates

send out thousands of résumés, hungrily looking

for a job in the industry they’ve been dreaming

about during their college years. And then noth-

ing happens. Many of them struggle with a string

of precarious jobs. The headlines say “the situ-

ation is picking up,” but that means nothing to

them if they can’t fi nd a job that recognizes their

academic qualifi cations and off ers them space for

professional, and personal, growth.

How can we break this circle? Key players in

the private sector, which is very attuned to

the reality of the problem, have realized that

combining young talent with the motivation to

overcome the current reality guarantees a pos-

itive return on investment. With that in mind,

they set themselves the task of designing an

effi cient rescue model.

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49

TALENT

Th e Princess of Girona Foundation has created the

Talent Rescuers program, based on the premise that

rookie graduates (20 to 30 years-old) need a guide.

Particularly those who are the first generation in

their family to have access to university studies.

Graduates are paired with an experienced coach, an

executive or CEO of a major company. Th e result is a

symbiotic association and an intergenerational alli-

ance. Th e mentee is in touch with the present, fresh

and enthusiastic; the mentor brings perspective,

practicality, and experience, along with the forma-

tive resources of their companies.

“It’s not about hiring the participants, but about

equipping them with tools that make them strong-

er. It’s also about helping them navigate their target

industry so that they can fi nd a job linked to the sub-

ject they studied,” explains Gema Guzmán, head of

the Foundation’s Professional Development Projects.

“Young people are more inclined to emigrate and wait

tables in Germany than move to a diff erent Spanish

province, because they are unaware of the market sit-

uation in their own country.” With this in mind, a

key element has recently been built into the program:

promoting geographical mobility to multiply options.

REALISTIC PERSPECTIVES After connecting graduates and “the rescuers”

(CEOs, managers and specialized executives), the

program organizes customized coaching sessions.

Th e fi rst 1:1 sessions are used to outline the gradu-

ates’ strengths and weaknesses, establish realis-

tic expectations and outline a roadmap. Th ey learn

how to promote their strengths in an interview, fi nd

market niches, and create social networks. Quite

often, nobody has guided them in those areas. As

well as putting mentees in contact with their men-

tors, features an online platform that focuses on

specifi c areas of training.

Alexis Rivas, who recently graduated from

Madrid’s Polytechnic University with a degree in

Industrial Engineering, was mentored in 2016 by

Javier Cerrudo, Director of Facility Management,

Technology and Innovation at ACCIONA. Alexis

and Javier are just one of the 100 mentor-ment-

ee pairs that the Company has set in motion since

entering the program in 2012, which, “After uni-

versity, we all have a misconstrued image of what

employers are looking for. It would be great to

hear what we’ve done wrong in an interview, for

instance. Javier helped me discover my strengths

and taught me how to put them to use. He helped

me see what I want and how to get it.”

Mentors can defi ne their style of guidance. Cerrudo

approached the sessions from an inspirational per-

spective, focusing on vocation and expectations.

“Th e work panorama is quite bleak, because young

people end up working in a fi eld that doesn’t moti-

vate them. At the end of the day, you have to like

what you do to do your job well. Th at’s the only way

to shine,” says the mentor. Together, they designed

a plan with an ideal goal in mind.

And then they reset all the practical steps to

achieve it. In this case, the plan involved role-play

job interviews with ACCIONA’s HR Department.

Among other guidelines, Alexis learnt how to deal

with complex questions and to control his insecuri-

ty. “My advice would be: don’t stick with a medio-

cre job. Don’t settle for that. Th e only way to make a

dream come true is to design a path that will get you

there in the long term,” explains Cerrudo.

Shortly after the sessions, Alexis landed a job

in his industry, with a carbon fiber company.

He’s been working there for a year. Next goals:

expand his networking skills and do a Masters in

Logistics and Management.

www.acciona.com

IN NUMBERS30% of university graduates

work in low qualification jobs unrelated to their

field of study

43 companies have taken part since 2012 ACCIONA is the company that has contributed with the highest number of mentors:

95 of a total of 456

66% of program participants improved their work

situation

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50

MOTORING

ITALIAN BAJA RALLYACCIONA AFFORDS ITS ECOPOWERED VEHICLE NO RESPITE. HOT ON THE HEELS OF DAKAR 2017,

NOW IT STORMS PAST THE FINISHING LINE AT THE ITALIAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIC.by Patricia Alcorta

Ours may have been the fi rst 100% electric car to complete the world’s

toughest rally, the Dakar, but now it has made history again by becoming the

fi rst and only zero-emission vehicle to participate in and complete a European

classic of the rally world. Th at was the 24th edition of the Italian Baja, held

from 15 to 18 June, 800 kilometers across the accident-ridden northeast of

the country on shifting gravel tracks. At the helm of the EcoPowered’s 250

kilowatts were German Andrea Peterhansel (pilot, on the left in the photo) and

co-pilot Emma Claire from France. Th e car’s balance outdid expectations. Test

after test, it fulfi lled all the improvement objectives. “We’re very proud to have

completed the Baja and demonstrated the capabilities of this most sustaina-

ble of models,” commented Andrea. http://acciona.sa/Qzl830d0G8oVIDEO

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